Robots to shed light on 'mycoplasma' sexual disease

[Guest guest]

....sexually transmitted mycoplasma-truly more widespread than

chlamydia...

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Robots to shed light on sexual disease

News-Medical.net - World - September 25, 2005

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=13414

It won't be long before automated DNA test contribute to providing

more knowledge about the up to now nearly unknown sexually

transmitted mycoplasma - truly more widespread than chlamydia.

Mycoplasma is a bacterial infection of the genitals.

More effective and comprehensive testing of target groups could

reveal more about the as yet little studied sexually transmitted

bacterial disease mycoplasma, just is as already done to demonstrate

other sexually transmitted illnesses such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

The DNA test products are developed by the Norwegian company Genpoint

AS. Genpoint's methods identify and analyse bacterial diseases by

mean of DNA analysis.

Genpoint assertains that the method can be used to effectively point

out and analyse mycoplasma, or mycoplasma genitalis, as the sexually

transmitted variant is called.

-There is reason to believe that this is at least as widespread as

chlamydia in Norway, but those who are infected don't know about it

because symptoms are not usually noticeable. microbiologist Dagfinn

Stroemme

-The existing test methods mean that far fewer than is desireable

have been tested because the capacity to test more does not exist in

the healthcare system. Our tests will make it possible to test a

greater number of the population, going beyond the traditional risk

groups. "

After having reaped good results with testing for chlamydia, until

now thought to be the most widespread sexually transmitted illness in

Norway, the expectations at Genpoint and in hospitals is great that

this diagnostic tool can be used in relation to mycoplasma.

This is a virginal area when it applies to mapping the causes, who

has the disease, how it behaves and what other related illnesses

those who are infected this bacteria might have.

Tests for this sexually transmitted disease is not performed often

enough. There is no routine testing, as there is for chlamydia, so it

is in many ways undefined and undiagnosed. With our method several

are tested for, bacterial infection is revealed and in this way

contribute to reaching a clearer picture of the illness than we have

previously had the opportunity for.

The new test methods are neither painful nor uncomfortable. Automated

and reliable tests are performed on a urine sample.

For a period of verification and clinical diagnostic trials, two

analysis instruments, or robots, have been installed at the

University Hospital of North Norway, Troms?d at the Ullev?University

Hospital in Oslo. More than 25,000 persons have now been tested for

chlamydia by this method. Now the method will be tested with

mycoplasma.

http://www.genpoint.no/

Copyright 2005 News-Medical.Net,Sydney Australia

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CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS

GENPOINT® AS - Oslo, Norway

http://www.genpoint.no/Files/clinical.html

Chlamydia trachomatis - a sexually transmitted disease.

Chlamydial infection is one of the most widespread bacterial STDs.

Chlamydial infection is a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD),

which is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. The

national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that

approximately 4 million men and women are infected by Chlamydia

trachomatis in the U.S. alone. Considering that up to 75% of women

and 50% of men infected with Chlamydia are asymptomatic, routine

screening and early, effective treatment are the keys to reducing the

high prevalence of Chlamydial infections. Thus, a more efficient

screening of this pathogen, with tests being more accurate and

sensitive, helps to decrease the number of Chlamydial infections.

Lately, due to nucleic acid tests, it has become much easier to

provide samples for testing of Chlamydia. It is now possible to

examine urine samples for Chlamydia trachomatis. The urine test does

not require a pelvic exam or swabbing of the penis.

BUGS´N BEADSTM VERSION U from Genpoint is a new, easy-to-perform and

automated method for isolation of DNA and RNA from bacteria, the new

kit has successfully been used for isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis

present in urine samples. The kit has also successfully been used for

isolation of DNA from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium

and Ureaplasma urealyticum. ... "

GENPOINT® AS - Oslo, Norway

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Genpoint AS awarded $1.5 m in public grants;

-to further enhance their automated DNA sample preparation for

Chlamydia and other clinical diagnostics

GENPOINT® AS - Oslo, Norway

Press Release: 1 March, 2005

http://www.genpoint.no/Files/news.html

GENPOINT AS today announced that the company has successfully secured

NOK 9.6 mill (1.5 mill USD) in grants over three years for further

development of their automated BUGS'n BEADSTM DNA sample preparation

system.

The grants comprise NOK 6 million from the prestigious FUGE program

of the Norwegian Research Council , where applications are submitted

to extensive international review, as well as NOK 3.6 mill from the

PROSBIO program. While Genpoint's BUGS'n BEADSTM system was adopted

for routine diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases such as

Chlamydia in 2004 in Norway, the supported projects will extend its

validation to include related sample types and pathogens including

Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma.

Moreover, the projects aim to tailor Genpoint's " smart bead surfaces "

for new applications, which will extend this technology to new areas

of clinical diagnostics with unmet needs for automation and high-

throughput. The projects will be carried out in close collaboration

with the University of Oslo and international clinical laboratories.

Genpoint's president and CEO, Dr. Geir Gogstad commented: " The grants

acknowledge the quality of Genpoint's research and the enormous

potential and clinical relevance of our technology. They will be a

valuable contribution in our efforts to extend BUGS'n BEADSTM beyond

its initial successful application in sexually transmitted diseases.

We envision the BUGS'n BEADSTM sample preparation to become

recognized as an industry standard in automated molecular diagnosis

of bacterial pathogens, including diseases with global dimensions

such as tuberculoses and hospital infections such as MRSA. "

Copyright 2005 GENPOINT® AS - Oslo, Norway

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